Meet Justin Beaker, Quacky Chan and the Duck Knight, the racing ducks of north Queensland

According to Craig Melville, you haven't seen it all until you've seen his racing ducks. 

What started as a bet between with his wife, Ruth, quickly turned into a business for the North Queensland couple, who attracted solid crowds to the Mackay Show this week.

Ducks named Justin Beaker, Quacky Chan, the Duck Knight and Kim Karquackian jostled at the starting line, each distinguished by different coloured bandanas.

Craig Melville said the creative names were the result of brainstorming sessions.

"It involves red wine and Great Northern [beer] and usually, by the end of it, we have to put a pencil through a few of the names that we can't say in front of the children," he said.

As the sound of trumpets blast through the speakers, a crowd draws around the gates.

A countdown begins and the race is off, with the Indian runner ducks racing up a ramp, down the slide, through traffic cones and tunnels. 

"Our friend has pig racing and we bet my wife that she couldn't get the ducks to run like pigs do," Mr Melville said.

"Within three days we were ready for a race. 

"You never met my wife. She will do anything to prove you're wrong."

It only took Mrs Melville a couple of days to teach a duck, named Madonna, to race.

"She's been with us seven years … she's starting to get a bit slow and Ruth is getting a bit teary," Mr Melville said. 

"Ruth talks to her and she looks up with one eye and looks into her eyes."

Mrs Melville said her husband bet her a new car, which she has enjoyed driving these past couple of years. 

"My husband is always challenging me.

"Some things [that] he thinks animals can't do, I think they can."

She said by working with the ducks' strengths and making them feel comfortable, it was not hard. 

"We treat them like royalty, and they have a lovely life on the farm."

The couple run an educational property outside of Townsville, which school students attend. 

They have also operated an animal nursery for more than 25 years. 

The idea of travelling with the animals grew from a friend pleading with Mr Melville to bring some of his farm animals to a struggling shopping centre. 

Mr Melville acknowledged that some people in the show circuit did not care for their animals properly. 

"There's people that are a little bit, 'How you going?', but that's why we're not cheap," he said.

"We charge a fair whack of money so we can put that back into the animals.

"We've got four llamas … a Mediterranean miniature donkey … when you add animals of that quality, you have to really look after them."

Verity Hatfield, 17, travels with Mr and Mrs Melville to work in the animal nursery. 

"I've always wanted to work with animals," she said.

"We start in Townsville and we go about eight hours to Emerald and then we work our way back up the coast towards Cairns.

"I sell the feed cups and make sure the animals are not being harmed, and are treated nicely by people."

Mr Melville said Indian runner ducks were very clever. 

"They've got a thought process for problem solving," he said.

"We've got other ducks at home that can pull a string and open a gate … all sorts of stuff.

"We know all the different habits of all the different animals. 

He said racing was stimulating for the ducks and was working on improvements to the racecourse.

Mr Melville said all you have to do is work with an animal's strength, make the wrong things hard and the right thing easy. 

"As soon as an animal learns to learn, they switch on and want more of it.

"If you want to train an animal, take them out of their own environment, because when you're on the road, you are the only thing they know.

"You're their safety blanket."

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